Fireworks

[peanuts]

For as long as I can remember we used to celebrate  Guy Fawkes night 

with fireworks, we had a bonfire , mum would make toffee , spuds in the fire and baked apples, all supervised by our parents but we were still allowed to enjoy ourselves  with sparklers and a Roman Candles you could hold. Lots of bangers and rockets and other spectacular fireworks that did lots of things.... all in our back yard .....we loved it, only trouble was.........it was over too quickly  . I guess the key word here is to use these things responsibly...........not a word often thought about in today's vocabulary

 

Rgds,,,,,,,,,Mike

as did we as aluded to in my post above .we would be trawling around ours and neighbouring estates for anything combustible to add to the growing pile usualy on the site of the former Uppermill goods shed .many would hold onto stuff just for us to collect from the end of september onwards then the final  few days would be spent coba- coaling for pennys to pay for the fireworks & defending our stash from neighbouring gangs rading us .then on the day all our dads would turn out to build our bonty mums would make tofee apples soup and black peas .come night fall the whole estate young and old would turn up for the ceremonial fixing of the guy to the top of the fire the light it up and enjoy eachothers fireworks scoff the food then us teenagers were left to keep an eye on what was left of the fire and get up to any shenanagins without the adults present .proper comunity stuff where everyone mucked in and enjoyed themselves saddley all gone within a generation along with the will to work at community things unless it gets your face in the local paper 

[Andrew P]

My Wife has been on the Greyhound site, and many dogs, all breads and some Horses have been KILLED due to Fireworks let off and scaring animals, Horses running into Barb Wire fences, Dogs in Wales running off on a beach in daylight after someone let off Rockets IN DAYLIGHT but the Bang scares them to death.
 
We are off to Snowdonia tomorrow for 10 days to try and get away from them, they have been going off around here almost every night for the last 3 weeks.
 and scaring our Greyhound.
 
BAN THEM apart from organised displays

 

EDIT = 18.46 AND THEY'VE JUST STARTED AGAIN

[The Stationmaster]

Today I passed a local shop which is selling fireworks and they had some dummy ones in the window to show what you get for your hard earned £s.  Several of the rocket heads were about the same size as a 30mm cannon shell and while they presumably explode when 'up there' they are going to leave some substantial bits of plastic to fall back to earth.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I tend to tread very carefully around the concept of banning or licencing things because they can be a bit risky, because I can think of several dozen dangerous things and/or substances which I find quite handy and which I'd rather didn't become unobtainable because idiots have misused them.

 And that list of hazardous things starts with the gas and the electric, and I do hear tell that some folks manage to drown themselves in water too.

[Mallard60022]

 And that list of hazardous things starts with the gas and the electric, and I do hear tell that some folks manage to drown themselves in water too.

Don't want to be argumentative but, water, gas and electricity are quite important, however fireworks are not really so necessary are they (except for emergency Maroons)? Look at the confusion the so called 'fireworks' caused with the Titanic. 

Phil

[Mallard60022]

I tend to tread very carefully around the concept of banning or licencing things because they can be a bit risky, because I can think of several dozen dangerous things and/or substances which I find quite handy and which I'd rather didn't become unobtainable because idiots have misused them.

Control of sales and use is what we are talking about I think. The organised firework displays are often amazing however it would be better if 'Licenced' users at controlled events was the way forward. There could be free events for families in a local area as there were in Horsham when I lived there, sponsored by traders who benefitted from trade on the night.

Phil

[Andrew P]

My wife has alao read about ex servicemen with PTSD getting in a bad way when hearing fireworks

[jjb1970]

Personally, as a bit of a libertarian I'm not generally in favour of the state banning things but I wouldn't lose any sleep if fireworks were banned. I detest the things with a passion.

[96701]

There was nothing like planting a 3-2-1-zero in a cow clap, unless of course one could find some fresh dog sh!t.

[Fat Controller]

There was nothing like planting a 3-2-1-zero in a cow clap, unless of course one could find some fresh dog sh!t.

We used to do something similar with tubes filled with weedkiller and sugar, stuffed into cow-pats; it redefined the mushroom cloud.

[Mallard60022]

There was nothing like planting a 3-2-1-zero in a cow clap, unless of course one could find some fresh dog sh!t.

Oh dear............................

P

[APOLLO]

Back in the 60's bangers were an (old) penny each, loud ones (The mighty atom) 2 pence and an Atomic Bomb could be had for a shilling, not that we bought many of those but what a racket they made !!.

 

Of course we experimented, tying a banger to a small rock and length of string, once the fuse was sparkling it would continue to burn under water and thus cause an underwater explosion. Also fuse sparkling throwing the banger onto the cut (canal) it would speed away before exploding. Tying a banger to a rocket upside down, fuse to fuse also worked (sometimes). Once we tied 4 rockets together with an Atom Bomb in the centre - it didn't fly well but caused a spectacular sight flying along the street at low level !!!

 

I've just been up in the loft running some trains in the dark (layout lights on), with the loft window open, and a spectacular free view of Wigan Rugby Union clubs annual firework display. Lots of fireworks still going off locally - and they say there is no money "ooop north" !!!!!

 

 Brit15

[jonny777]

Crow scarers were available in our area during the 1950s and 1960s, before the compressed air version became popular. They were meant for farmers' fields but seemed to find their way into the grubby hands of teenagers.

 

We could always tell them when let off a mile or so away, because the first thing we saw was a flash followed maybe half a second or so later by an almighty bang.

 

Letting one off under any kind of bridge was not something for the faint-hearted, and if the local copper appeared on his bike around the corner just after one had gone bang, it was time to run hell for leather for as long as we could.

[Horsetan]

My Wife has been on the Greyhound site, and many dogs, all breads and some Horses have been KILLED due to Fireworks let off and scaring animals, Horses running into Barb Wire fences, Dogs in Wales running off on a beach in daylight after someone let off Rockets IN DAYLIGHT ......

 

OT, but I remember when The Sun used to publish its reports (sic) with words in capitals every so often in each paragraph.....

 

My horse tuned out the sound of fireworks years ago; nowadays he just looks quizzically in the direction of the bang.

[Captain Kernow]

I continue to be astounded that, in a country with tight firearms controls (and quite rightly, too) and controls on who can use 'real' explosives (remember the story about the Ffestiniog deviationists who were only able to complete the Deviation due to the fact that the local friendly Major had an explosives licence?), there are virtually no controls over the sale of this type of (potentially deadly) explosives to all and sundry, plus the fact that anyone can let them off, virtually anywhere, and at any time they feel like it, with absolutely no real consequences at all.

 

Sadly, I fear that it is going to take a major tragedy before our cynical and lazy politicians react and ban the things (except to licensed displays).

 

As others have mentioned, when I was a young kid, I used to absolutely adore Bonfire Night, and looked forward to it with a passion, willing it to get dark sooner on the afternoon leading up to the evening's event.

 

My father would always build a decent bonfire in our (suitably sized) back garden and always had a great selection of fireworks to let off, for the delight of me and my sibilings. If we were good, we were allowed sparklers, under supervision. It used to be such fun. We didn't, however, have any pets back in those days.

 

Now things are different and I loathe fireworks with a passion, but mainly because of (a) the effect on our pets and (b) the fact that stupid, idiotic, brainless moronic gits are able to get their hands on them and misuse them.

[tamperman36]

I must admit to doing one or two little misadventures with fire works as a teenager how ever none involved putting body in danger. We once (a couple of friends an myself) blew the penalty spot on the local football pitch up, having poked hole about a foot deep, we dropped an air bomb in and lit it, stamped a pebble in the hole and ran for cover. Following shortly after was a dull bang and a small crater about a foot round appeared where the penalty spot was. Another we used to find fun was to find old milk bottles, float them in a pond and then drop in a banger, as the bulk of the bottle sat bellow the water level as did the banger, when they exploded usually there was no flying glass. As already mentioned old Airfix kits usually took some abuse aswell, aircraft with the main bodies gutted and small bangers inserted and lit and fired from a catapult and boom, mid flight explosion.

 

Oh what fun ! ? !

 

 Move on thirty years and how stupid we were, but we wouldn't have dreampt of putting them through letter boxes or doing these things near other people and houses, it was always in the fields around the village

[Andrew P]

There was a debate in Parliment about 3 months ago brought about by the Firework abatement society but pm s said it wasnt a problem. Probably because they all live in houses away from streets of Fireworks. Nicola Sturgen says she wants them banned.

Here in Bala this evening it hasnt been two bad, probably because its farming country,thats why we come here every November.

[laurenceb]

You had the right idea Andy, it was bedlam here this evening up till about 21:00

[newbryford]

There was a time when we shoved a banger up a cat's @rse and lit it.

 

We were recalling the story to our biology teacher when he interrupted with the word "rectum".

 

Our reply was immediate." Yes Sir - blew them apart........................"

 

 

 

 

 

Flippancy aside, I've just been at an organised event for about 4,000 people with a firework display.

 

These were the small ones.

 

The larger ones are in launch tubes about 2-3 feet long and 4-6" diameter.

 

They have very little fallout as there is no stick or cardboard tube to contain the firework

They have a launch charge and then the display item is a tightly wrapped paper cartridge that pretty much disintegrates on detonation.

 

No-one was hurt and many people went home happy, especially the local fire brigade as our event pretty much cancels out any non-organised event.

And in the meantime we raise a few £s for local charities.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

 

 

 

[45059]

There was a time when we shoved a banger up a cat's @rse and lit it.

 

We were recalling the story to our biology teacher when he interrupted with the word "rectum".

 

Our reply was immediate." Yes Sir - blew them apart........................"

 

 

 

 

 

Flippancy aside, I've just been at an organised event for about 4,000 people with a firework display.

 

These were the small ones.

bonfire2.jpg

 

The larger ones are in launch tubes about 2-3 feet long and 4-6" diameter.

 

They have very little fallout as there is no stick or cardboard tube to contain the firework

They have a launch charge and then the display item is a tightly wrapped paper cartridge that pretty much disintegrates on detonation.

 

No-one was hurt and many people went home happy, especially the local fire brigade as our event pretty much cancels out any non-organised event.

And in the meantime we raise a few £s for local charities.

 

Cheers,

Mick

As the keeper of seven cats...

 

We made sure all our animals were in well in advance of this evening, and walked the dog earlier than usual to minimize his distress. He just sat there growling tonight.

 

As for large fireworks Mick, they were small- even the PIRA managed to come up with something larger than that when the tried to give my camp in Germany a fireworks display.. Mind you, they did get the timing a bit out- It was late June 1996. Muppets.

 

During my time with the Sappers I got to make some rather big bangs. Giant Viper was always fun.

 

I even got paid to blow up a Renault 5 once. Happy times...

[Dagworth]

I have six cats and three guinea pigs in the house here. Putting some good music on fairly loud helps to keep them all calm as they are used to music.

 

I'd be very happy with a total ban on sales to the public, we don't allow people access to other explosives so why fireworks?

 

Andi

[Clive Mortimore]

I have six cats and three guinea pigs in the house here. Putting some good music on fairly loud helps to keep them all calm as they are used to music.

 

I'd be very happy with a total ban on sales to the public, we don't allow people access to other explosives so why fireworks?

 

Andi

Hi Andi

 

Fireworks are explosives. Having nursed people with blast injuries due to fireworks I agree they should not be sold to the public.

 

It is strange, you can go and buy a box of fireworks, legally. A box of bombs.

 

You can be jailed for reading on the internet, how to make a bomb if you views do not match the rest of society.

[Andrew P]

Firstly well done Mick. NOT for harming the cat but for going to an an organised event. Organised events by licenced companies and over seen by the Fire Brigade is the only way to go. Like Andie before we came away we had chanel 82 Vintage TV mainly Rock Music on of an evening and quite loud. Good job were detached haha. Being in Wales we cant get 82, we even get Sky News.

[Mallard60022]

You had the right idea Andy, it was bedlam here this evening up till about 21:00

21.00 eh. You were lucky mate.

Phil

[tamperman36]

I have just watched a group of young hoodlams tonight hanging around in the streets around my home, a couple on motor scooters and another pair of twenty somethings in a car firing rockets up and down the street and chasing each other around the streets firing rockets at each other, with absolutely no thought or respect for innocent people around. I was not able to get any registrations so wouldn't be able to pass them on to the police.

 

These sort of idiots are the type who need to be educated to the stupidity of there actions, but unfortunately its usually an innocent person caught in there cross fire who ends up hurt.

Oh where I would like to shove a large explosive firework !!! (right up there a####s)